City Notebook: Alexandria's mayoral hopefuls are online, or getting there

Aug. 1, 2010

By Bret H. McCormick bmccormick@thetowntalk.com

Voters looking for information online about the five candidates in Alexandria's mayoral race will find mixed results on the contenders' respective websites.

The Rev. Joseph W. Franklin has perhaps the most comprehensive website at this time, posted at www.josephwfranklin.com. It touts his dream for a "better Alexandria."

Von Jennings has a home page at www.jenningsformayor.net that is under construction. She can be found on the Facebook page "Von Jennings for Mayor of Alexandria, LA."

Jay Johnson said he anticipates his website to be unveiled soon. He said he is finishing a few features before it launches.

Roosevelt Johnson, an at-large City Council member, also expects his website to be up soon.

"I'm working on it right now," Roosevelt Johnson said. "I should have it available in the next two weeks."

Incumbent Mayor Jacques Roy's site from the 2006 campaign -- www.jacquesroyformayor.com -- is live and it includes issue statements and other information from four years ago.

POLICE CHIEF SEARCH

Mayor Roy initially asked council member Roosevelt Johnson to serve on a seven-member police chief search committee, and Johnson asked if he could defer to District 1 Councilman Jonathan Goins, chairman of the council's Public Safety Committee.

Neither Johnson nor Goins served on the committee.

"I felt the mayor should honor that wish," Johnson said. "I left that with him, but I guess he never called Jonathan."

Roy said he selected the committee members and did not allow Johnson's request.

To keep committee membership at an odd number, the mayor eliminated a spot planned for a representative of the faith-based and nonprofit community. That opening had not been filled.

The committee consists of:

Chad Gremillion, Louisiana State Police detective.

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Patricia Koch, Ninth Judicial District judge.

Corey Lair, representing the business community.

Loren Lampert, Rapides Parish assistant district attorney.

Tommy Milo, representing the city's neighborhoods groups.

RESTORING A JOB

The City Council restored a job at the request of the administration to the Utility Services Department that had been left out of the city budget.

The job, which was in the prior year's budget and was vacant, is necessary "for the efficient operation of the department," Chief Operating Officer Kay Michiels wrote to the council.

Mike Marcotte, city utilities director, said the engineering technician position carries a salary of $39,327 and is essential for answering the Louisiana One Call system, which is a service to help locate utilities before digging.

"This position was vacant during the budget process," Marcotte said. "The intent was to leave it in the budget, but it was inadvertently left out. We've tried to operate without it and haven't been able to do that."

EARLY VOTING

Requests for absentee mail ballots for the Aug. 28 first-party congressional primaries may be made starting Tuesday.

Three primaries will be held Aug. 28 for U.S. senator and representative races. The Democratic Party primary allows for Democrats and independents to vote, the Libertarian Party primary will be open to registered Libertarians and independents, and the Republican Party primary is open to registered Republicans.

Early voting will begin Saturday, Aug. 14, and will continue from Monday, Aug. 16, through Saturday, Aug. 21, at registrar of voters offices throughout Central Louisiana. Polls will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.